Tuesday’s vote to narrow Durham’s mayoral, city council fields

Durham’s large field of candidates will be narrowed down after its nonpartisan municipal primary on Tuesday, Oct. 10. The top two vote-getters for mayor and three city council ward races will move on to the municipal general election on Nov. 7.

Early voting ran from Sept. 21 to Oct. 7. There were 6,992 total votes cast in the primary through Thursday, Oct. 5. Of four early voting sites, the Durham County Board of Elections office downtown drew the most voters, with 2,814 people casting their ballots there by Oct. 5.

The Inter-Neighborhood Council will hold a city council candidates forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 at City Hall, located at 101 City Hall Plaza in downtown Durham.

The Durham Unit of the League of Women Voters of Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties is sponsoring a mayoral and city council candidates forum from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1200 W. Cornwallis Road. Candidates for mayor and city council will give remarks and answer questions.

Social media policy updated

The social media policy is for elected officials and leaders of board, commissions and committees. The city council approved its first social media policy in September and made changes during a later work session. The updated version passed unanimously, 6-0, at its Oct. 2 meeting.

Among the policy guidelines about accuracy, record-keeping and conduct standards is the prohibition of “using professional social media accounts to circumvent election or campaign requirements, to campaign for re-election or endorse other candidates for public office.”

Two city council members — Jillian Johnson and Charlie Reece — recently added professional Twitter accounts in addition to their personal Twitter accounts.